"Um… respected masters, have you all been… disturbed?" Richard asked cautiously.
There was no other way. Above his Wizard Tower stood a group of familiar faces.
These were all Third Circle Wizards from the Black Tower. Their collective presence here could only mean that the commotion he had caused was far greater than he had imagined.
In the sky, the gazes of the many Third Circle Wizards were now all focused on Richard.
They were all experienced, and it was clear to them that Richard was currently in the stage of post-advancement replenishment.
Yet, the last time they had seen Richard, he had been a Second Circle Wizard.
Now, in the midst of replenishment, it was obvious that he had broken through to become a Third Circle Wizard.
A Third Circle Wizard at just over four hundred years old…
Expressions of disbelief spread across the faces of the many Third Circle Wizards.
They were all startled by their own thoughts.
The reason was simple: this age was far too young.
Without extraordinary opportunities, even if a Wizard meditated day and night, it would be impossible to achieve such a feat.
The Wizards descended to the ground. They would not dare to look down upon a Third Circle Wizard, even if he might be the weakest Third Circle Wizard in the history of the Wizard World.
After landing, Jolod quickly approached Richard, his voice filled with disbelief. "Richard, you… you've become a Third Circle Wizard?"
Seeing the incredulous look on his mentor's face, Richard nodded reluctantly. But in his heart, he cursed, "Damn, what kind of day is it today? Why have all the higher-ups from the academy come to the Tower of Truth?"
He now regretted having chosen to advance in the Tower of Truth.
Hearing Richard's confirmation, Jolod was momentarily stunned, then a complex smile appeared on his face.
He patted Richard on the shoulder and turned to the other Wizards, shouting, "This is Richard! My student! He's now a Third Circle Wizard!"
The other Third Circle Wizards offered their congratulations. For a mentor and student to both reach the Third Circle was indeed a commendable achievement within the Wizard community.
After the congratulations, the Third Circle Wizards left, giving the master and student some space.
Though they were deeply curious about how Richard had managed to become a Third Circle Wizard in such a short time, they also knew that every Wizard had their secrets.
Which of these Third Circle Wizards didn't have their own unique encounters? And in the Wizard World, opportunities that directly enhanced one's strength weren't necessarily bad, but they weren't considered the best type of opportunity either.
Improving one's foundational strength wasn't particularly difficult for Wizards, especially for someone like Richard, who could be considered a minor tycoon.
In fact, some of the Third Circle Wizards, after their initial shock, felt a tinge of regret.
Becoming a Third Circle Wizard too early wasn't necessarily a good thing for a Wizard. The sudden surge in power could easily cloud a Wizard's judgment, making them overestimate their own strength.
However, any being that reached the third level of life, whether a Wizard or a native, was not to be underestimated.
If one failed to recognize their true level of strength, they could easily meet a sudden death on the Plane Battlefield.
Of course, these drawbacks couldn't overshadow the brilliance of becoming a Third Circle Wizard at just over four hundred years old. This meant that Richard theoretically had over nine thousand years to research how to become a Great Wizard.
This was an advantage that other Wizards who became Third Circle Wizards at two or three thousand years old couldn't compare to.
As the Third Circle Wizards dispersed, only Jolod and Richard remained in front of the Wizard Tower.
Jolod turned to Richard, a proud smile on his face.
He patted Richard on the shoulder and chuckled, "You even kept this from me, huh? I had no idea you were about to break through."
Richard scratched his head and laughed, but then he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.
A few strands of hair shot toward the ground like arrows.
He was still in the replenishment stage. Even though he had Second Circle peak mental strength, he would still go through a brief period of replenishment.
During this stage, Richard's body was still in a slightly unstable state.
Richard grimaced and said, "It was an accident. I didn't plan to advance to the Third Circle so soon, so I didn't mention it. But today, I couldn't hold back and just broke through."
Jolod shook his head with a smile, but in his heart, he sighed softly.
He was finding it increasingly difficult to understand this student of his.
Now, he finally understood the meaning behind the phrase "each wave is stronger than the last."
"Well, it's your decision to make."
Jolod patted Richard's arm, and the smile on his face faded, replaced by a deep sorrow.
"You've been so focused on your research these days that you probably haven't heard. That old fellow Vladimir passed away two days ago."
As Jolod spoke, his face wore a smile, but it was a bitter one.
Another of the old fellows he knew was gone.
Hearing this news, Richard was momentarily stunned.
Recalling the aura of decay that had surrounded Vladimir in the Crimson Sun World, it was indeed time for him to reach the end of his lifespan.
A pang of sorrow welled up in Richard's heart.
This was the first time he had encountered the death of a Wizard with whom he had a deep connection.
Vladimir had undoubtedly been an important figure in his life. His first major order had been facilitated by Vladimir.
For a new weapon, without Vladimir's stubborn recommendation, the Frost Corps would never have placed an order, let alone such a large one.
On the battlefield, though Richard hadn't interacted much with Vladimir, every time they did, Vladimir had provided him with invaluable assistance.
Without a doubt, Vladimir had shown Richard great kindness, and Richard had held the old Wizard in high regard.
Richard asked softly, "When is the funeral?"
"A week from now. You should prepare. The Frost Grand Wizard and the Dean are close friends, so all the notable Wizards from our academy will be attending."
Richard nodded and said nothing more.
Jolod turned and left. Wuni, who had been standing by their side, asked curiously, "Teacher, who is Master Vladimir? You and Master Jolod both seem very sad."
Richard sighed and began to recount his experiences with Vladimir to Wuni.
Death was always a heavy burden, and even though Richard had just advanced and should have been filled with joy, his mood had now turned somber.
After finishing the story, Richard silently returned to the Wizard Tower.
Ulysses flew in from the backyard and, seeing Richard's expression, asked in surprise, "What's wrong… you've become a demigod, haven't you? Shouldn't you be happy about that?"
"It's nothing. Master Vladimir has passed away. I'll be attending his funeral in a few days," Richard replied in a low voice.
Ulysses paused for a moment, quickly recalling the name from his memory.
"Ah, that old Wizard."
Ulysses perched on Richard's shoulder and said calmly, "Richard, don't dwell too much on death.
You have a long life ahead of you, and events like this will become quite common in the years to come.
I've personally witnessed the deaths of my parents, siblings, wife, and even my children. This is an inevitable path for long-lived species.
Keep the sorrow in your memories, but life requires optimism and positivity."
Richard shook his head. Words were easy to say, but truly putting them into practice required long-term experience.
Without being numbed by sorrow, who could face grief so calmly? "Enough of this," Richard said, shaking his head. "What were you doing earlier? I caused such a commotion during my advancement, and you didn't even help cover it up."
"Ah, that…" Ulysses said, somewhat awkwardly. "You've been in the Nightmare World these past days, so you wouldn't know.
Your Secret Realm has been fully assembled."
"…What?"
Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard was struck by the drastic changes that had taken place.
After twenty years of assembly, the entire Secret Realm had undergone a massive transformation.
What had once been a mere square kilometer had now expanded to several dozen square kilometers.
All sorts of strange flora and fauna thrived and multiplied within the realm.
Lakes, volcanoes, deserts, forests… within just a few dozen square kilometers, over a dozen different landscapes were condensed together.
To Richard, it felt as though he were looking at a miniature world.
After the assembly, the World Mushroom had grown to nearly a kilometer in height, its massive cap resembling a mountain peak in the clouds.
Beneath that cap, Richard's statue and the Holy City had also been enlarged dozens of times. Within the Holy City, Richard noticed a creature he had never seen before.
"What are those things?"
Richard pointed to the Holy City, where humanoid figures were constantly coming and going.
The deep voice of the World Mushroom echoed in Richard's ears.
"Master, these are Holy Tree Sprites."
"Holy Tree Sprites?"
Richard was momentarily stunned. In his memory, Holy Tree Sprites were little balls of fluff. The creatures before him bore no resemblance to his mental image.
"Master, these are disguises. It's their new ability."
As he spoke, one of the Holy Tree Sprites approached Richard and shed its outer disguise.
It turned out that the humanoid form was merely a shell made from mycelium.
Their true bodies were still the fluffy, spherical creatures Richard remembered.
"Mycelium disguises, huh? That's quite an interesting ability," Richard remarked, watching as the Holy Tree Sprite returned to its humanoid form.
This ability was both offensive and defensive in nature. The essence of the mycelium disguise was the manipulation of mycelium, which could be altered according to the Holy Tree Sprites' will. This meant they could make the mycelium as soft as skin or as hard as steel.
In other words, Holy Tree Sprites could not only create disguises but also use them to fight enemies.
With this ability, Richard no longer had to worry about these little creatures being snatched up by some careless predator.
Yes, while it was a useful ability, it only allowed ordinary Holy Tree Sprites to defend themselves against something like a large goose.
"Not bad, not bad, but this outward appearance needs some work."
Richard looked at the humanoid forms the Holy Tree Sprites had created and found them somewhat unsatisfactory.
The Holy Tree Sprites were still getting the hang of this new ability, and the forms they had created based on Richard's statue looked rather "terrifying."
A humanoid creature the size of a baby, with twisted facial features and multicolored, mushroom-like skin, nearly triggered Richard's uncanny valley response.
Richard walked to the edge of the Holy City and gathered all the Holy Tree Sprites.
"Don't use me as a reference for your shells just yet. I'll bring over some sculptures in a while, and you can use those to create your humanoid forms."
The Holy Tree Sprites responded in unison, "Your will, great Creator."
(End of Chapter)